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The Finite Element Method
The Finite Element Method
There have been many alternative methods proposed in recent decades, but
their commercial applicability is yet to be proved. In short, FEM has just made
a blip on the radar!
Before starting with the differential equations, it is essential to read the article
about FEA in the SimWiki. It begins with the basics and gradually progresses
to the differential equations.
FEA In The
There are two main approaches to solving elliptic PDEs, namely the finite
difference methods (FDM) and variational (or energy) methods. FEM falls into
the second category. Variational approaches are primarily based on the
philosophy of energy minimization.
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Weak Form
One of the first steps in FEM is to identify the PDE associated with the
physical phenomenon. The PDE (or differential form) is known as the strong
form and the integral form is known as the weak form. Consider the simple
PDE as shown below. The equation is multiplied by a trial function v(x) on
both sides and integrated with the domain [0,1].
Now, using integration of parts, the LHS of the above equation can be
reduced to
As it can be seen, the order of continuity required for the unknown function
u(x) is reduced by one. The earlier differential equation required u(x) to be
differentiable at least twice while the integral equation requires it to be
differentiable only once. The same is true for multi-dimensional functions, but
the derivatives are replaced by gradients and divergence.
Without going into the mathematics, the Riesz representation theorem can
prove that there is a unique solution for u(x) for the integral and hence the
differential form. In addition, if f(x) is smooth, it also ensures that u(x) is
smooth.
Discretization
Once the integral or weak form has been set up, the next step is the
discretization of the weak form. The integral form needs to be solved
numerically and hence the integration is converted to a summation that can be
calculated numerically. In addition, one of the primary goals of discretization is
also to convert the integral form to a set of matrix equations that can be
solved using well-known theories of matrix algebra.
Fig 03: Meshing of gears in contact
As shown in Fig. 03, the domain is divided into small pieces known as
“elements” and the corner point of each element is known as a “node”. The
unknown functional u(x) are calculated at the nodal points. Interpolation
functions are defined for each element to interpolate, for values inside the
element, using nodal values. These interpolation functions are also often
referred to as shape or ansatz functions. Thus the unknown functional u(x)
can be reduced to
where nen is the number of nodes in the element, Ni and ui are the
interpolation function and unknowns associated with node i, respectively.
Similarly, interpolation can be used for the other functions v(x) and f(x)
present in the weak form, so that the weak form can be rewritten as
The summation schemes can be transformed into matrix products and can be
rewritten as
The weak form can now be reduced to a matrix form [K]{u} = {f}
Note above that the earlier trial function v(x) that had been multiplied does not
exist anymore in the resulting matrix equation. Also here [K] is known as the
stiffness matrix, {u} is the vector of nodal unknowns, and {R} is the residual
vector. Further on, using numerical integration schemes, like Gauss or
Newton-Cotes quadrature, the integrations in the weak form that forms the
tangent stiffness and residual vector are also handled easily.
Solvers
Once the matrix equations have been established, the equations are passed
on to a solver to solve the system of equations. Depending on the type of
problem, direct or iterative solvers are generally used. A more detailed
overview of the solvers and how they work, as well as tips on how to choose
between them, are available in the blog article “How to Choose Solvers: Direct
or Iterative?“
Finite element analysis of a connecting rod carried out in the web browser with SimScale
TYPES OF FEM Different Types of Finite Element Method
As discussed earlier, traditional FEM technology has demonstrated
shortcomings in modeling problems related to fluid mechanics and wave
propagation. Several improvements have been made recently to improve the
solution process and extend the applicability of finite element analysis to a
wide range of problems. Some of the important ones still being used include:
Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM)
Bubnov-Galerkin method requires continuity of displacement across elements.
Although problems like contact, fracture, and damage involve discontinuities
and jumps that cannot be directly handled by the finite element method. To
overcome this shortcoming, XFEM was born in the 1990’s. XFEM works
through the expansion of the shape functions with Heaviside step functions.
Extra degrees of freedom are assigned to the nodes around the point of
discontinuity so that the jumps can be considered.
FEM Conclusion
We hope this article has covered the answers to your most important
questions regarding what is the finite element method. If you’d like to see it in
practice, SimScale offers the possibility to carry out finite element analyses in
the web browser. To discover all the features provided by the SimScale cloud-
based simulation platform, download this overview or watch the recording of
one of our webinars.
Materials for getting started with SimScale can be found in the blog article “9
Learning Resources to Get You Started with Engineering Simulation“.
Discover the benefits of cloud-based simulation by creating a free
account on the SimScale platform. No installation, special hardware or
credit card required.
References
Schnellback, Probleme der Variationsrechnung, Journal für die reine und Angewandte
Mathematik , v. 41, pp. 293-363 (1851)
R. Courant, Variational methods for the solution of problems of equilibrium and vibrations,
Bulletin of American Mathematical Society, v. 49, pp. 1-23 (1943)
M. J. Turner, R. M. Clough, H. C. Martin and L. J. Topp, Stiffness and deflection analysis of
complex structures, Journal of Aeronautical Science, v. 23, pp. 805-823 (1956)
M. J. Turner, R. M. Clough, H. C. Martin and L. J. Topp, Stiffness and deflection analysis of
complex structures,” Journal of Aeronautical Science, v. 23, pp. 805-823 (1956)
J. H. Argyris, Die matritzentheorie der Statik, Ingenieur-Archiv XXV, pp. 174-194 (1957)
O. C. Zienkiewicz, The Finite Element Method in Structural and Continuum Mechanics,
McGraw-Hill, London (1971)
I. Babuska and A. K. Aziz, Survey lectures on the mathematical foundations of the finite
element method, In The Mathematical Foundation of the Finite Element Method with
Applications to Partial Differential Equations, pp. 3-636 (1972)
G. Strang and G. J. Fix, An analysis of the Finite Element Method, Prentice-Hall, Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey (1973)
J. T. Oden, Finite elements: An introduction, in Handbook of Numerical Analysis II, Finite
element methods (Part I), North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp. 3-12 (1991)